FB 03: Research visit, University of Sassari, Italy

Applicant: José Pablo Fernández González
FB 03, PhD Law

The aim of this report is to present the activities, experiences and results achieved during my research stay at the Law Department of the University of Sassari, conducted from September 29 to October 17, 2025, in compliance with paragraph 5(6) of the Directive for the Awarding of Grants for Research Stays funded by the Santander Mobility Fund of the University of Münster, as last revised on February 7, 2025.

The research stay focused on a comparative study of postmortem mandates and powers of representation within Italian private and inheritance law, aligned with the approved research plan and mobility objectives. From the outset, Professor Attanasio personally guided me through the various floors and departments of the “Pigliaru” Library. He carefully explained how to access the most recent publications and introduced me to the librarians, the sole staff authorized to access the historical book archives. Throughout my stay, Professor Attanasio kindly used his credentials to request materials unavailable at the University of Sassari, including those restricted to faculty members. The librarians were exceptionally supportive, assisting with archival research and helping locate specific documents pertinent to my study.

During my time at the University of Sassari, I typically dedicated mornings to locating and consulting research materials, when the library and staff were most accessible. Afternoons were reserved for organizing, synthesizing, and drafting the morning’s findings. I was impressed by the breadth of material located within the first two weeks, spanning a significant range of years. In the final week, I focused mornings on identifying relevant court decisions, having already compiled sufficient doctrinal and monographic sources. Afternoons were spent organizing and systematizing findings in preparation for the PhD seminar led by my thesis supervisor in Münster, where I was invited to present and discuss the results of my research in Sassari.

This research stay has been instrumental in advancing my doctoral studies by confirming initial hypotheses and successfully fulfilling the key objectives outlined in my Santander Mobility Fund application. The investigations revealed that Italian scholarship and case law engage substantially more with post-mortem mandates than their Spanish counterparts, signaling a gradual doctrinal shift away from the traditional principle that mandates terminate upon the principal’s death. Furthermore, the research demonstrated that Italian doctrine initially drew upon German theoretical frameworks to modernize and introduce greater flexibility within its legal system. During this stay, my Italian supervisor introduced me to Professor Laurent Prosecco of the University of Toulouse, who was teaching in Sassari at the time and contributed to the French segment of the research. This collaboration was particularly valuable given the shared Napoleonic Code civil origins of Italian and Spanish codified law, despite their divergent evolutions since then.

This experience also strengthened my collaboration with the Department of Law of the University of Sassari, ensuring continued access to specialized legal databases beyond the research period, with commitments for additional material support if necessary.

Looking forward, my Italian supervisor, Prof. Dr. Luigi Nonne, has invited me to deliver a guest lecture to Italian law students in the upcoming academic year, presenting an excellent opportunity to broaden my teaching experience, enhance my academic profile, and support my future academic career aspirations. Moreover, the stay fostered enduring professional and research relationships, particularly with scholars at Sassari and Toulouse, laying important foundations for sustained international cooperation.